I have the honor to be, with great respect,
your obedient servant,
H. W. COLLIER.
Which was read.
THE SCHOOL SYSTEM OF ALABAMA.
The PRESIDENT also laid before the Convention
the following communication from His Excel-
lency, the Governor of Alabama:
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER.
Montgomery, Ala., Feb. 6, 1851.
Hon. J. G. CHAPMAN:
SIR: During my absence from the Seat of
Government, your letter of the twenty-fifth of
November, was laid upon my table, instead of
being sent to my residence, Tuscaloosa, as my
Secretary should have done; and consequently,
did not meet my eye until within the last week.
I now answer it as a mere apology for my seem-
ing neglect.
Our educational system may be seen by a re-
ference to the laws of Alabama, which are de-
posited in the department of State, of the several
States. We have a University endowed with
$250,000, six per cent. State stock, a small an-
nual revenue from rents, &c.
We have a sixteenth section school fund,
amounting to more than $1,000,000, invested in
six per cent. State stock. This fund being in
common, but to the townships in proportion to
the sum, at which their respective sixteenth sec-
tion sold, is doing but little good, especially in the
poor districts where it is most needed.
In Mobile and the larger towns, the common
school system of education, if properly managed
succeeds very well, but in the sparsely populated
parts of the State, it has not hitherto promised
very beneficial results.
The lands given us by Congress, for the estab-
lishment of a "Seminary of Learning," have not
yielded one-half the sum at which they could
have been sold, owing to the unwise and extra-
ordinary legislation in respect to them. But the
fund is now well secured. The same remark
will apply to many of the sixteenth sections.
I am sure this information will be worth noth-
ing to the Convention, even if it had not adjourn-
ed. Even as a matter of history, it is hardly
worth reading.
With great respect, I have the honor to be,
your obedient servant,
H. W. COLLIER.
Which was read, and
Referred to committee No. 14.
LICENSE SYSTEM.
The PRESIDENT also laid before the Conventions
petition from sundry citizens of Washing-
ton county, praying that provision may be made
in the new Constitution, that the privilege to sell
intoxicating liquor shall not be granted to any
person in any part of the State, except the same
shall first be sanctioned or approved of by a ma-
jority of the votes in the district where the
game is to be sold.
Which was read.
49

Mr. DORSEY said, this was an important sub-
ject, and he moved the reference of the petition
to a select committee, to be composed of seven
members.
Ordered accordingly.
KENT COUNTY.
The PRESIDENT also laid before the Conven-
tion a report from the clerk of the Levy court
of Kent county, in relation to the fees allowed
the Attorney General and his Deputies by said
county.
Which was read, and
Referred to the committee appointed on the
Attorney General and his Deputies.
Mr. JACOBS expressed a desire to change his
vote on the second branch of the substitute
amendment, which he bad yesterday offered.
The PRESIDENT said, that the result would not
be changed by the change of the gentleman's
vote; but that the unanimous consent of the
Convention would be required to enable the gen-
tleman to make the change.
No objection having been made,
The vote of Mr. JACOBS was changed on the
said proposition, from the affirmative to the
negative.
THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.
Mr. DORSEY, who had been absent from his
seat yesterday, for a considerable portion of the
day, in consequence of indisposition, expressed
a desire to move certain amendments to sections
twenty-seven, thirty, thirty-one and thirty-three,
of the report of the legislative department, which
had been passed upon. And he desired to move
a reconsideration of these sections with a view
to move the amendments.
Mr. D. was proceeding to explain the charac-
ter of his amendments, when
Mr. THOMAS suggested that it would be better
that the sections should be reconsidered sepa-
rately—that the Convention might the better un-
derstand the several propositions of the gentle-
man from Anne Arundel, (Mr. Dorsey.)
Mr. DORSEY, accepting be suggestion, moved
a reconsideration of the vote, by which the twen-
ty-seventh section of the report had been adopt-
ed.
The vote was reconsidered.
Mr. DORSEY then moved to amend the sail
section by striking out in the second line, the
words "breach of the peace," and inserting in
lieu thereof "other criminal offence."
Mr. D. said, it seemed to him to be proper
that, if members of the legislature were to be
subjected to arrest for treason or felony, they
ought also to be subjected to arrest for receiving
stolen goods, knowing them to be stolen, and for
other offences.
Mr. THOMAS suggested that the object of the
gentleman would be accomplished by striking
out the words "breach of the peace," and in-
serting the words "or other criminal offences."
Mr. DORSEY accepted the modification.
The amendment was agreed to.
And the section, as amended, was adopted.